Lighting control devices and systems enable the right amount and color of light to be produced where and when it is needed, while potentially producing useful operating data. Combinations of inputs (manual, time, occupancy...
Technological sensors on roads and intersections gather more data and enable more intelligent responses to conditions than ever before. Increased numbers of motorists, aging infrastructure and the growing digitalization is...
The global pandemic highlighted the essential role of the internet of things (loT) by transcending physical security to include safety, productivity, facility management and smart cities. Organizations rushed to digitize...
The fifth generation of high-speed cellular broadband connectivity, known simply as 5G, promises better access to networking and a proliferation of devices promoting the internet of things (loT). loT connections continue to...
Serious security flaws continue to crop up in connected video doorbells, but privacy and cyber issues are in actuality a widespread occurrence in the ongoing emergence of devices in the internet of things (loT). As billions...
Throughout the age of alternating current, few imagined that direct current would reemerge as a viable primary power distribution option at the grid, community or building level. DC and hybrid AC/DC microgrids, however, have...
Most contractors work with building models to aid the design and installation of construction projects. As the systems being installed become more complex, so too do the tools to model them. One of the newest software...
A personal device charging pad, cordless headphones, a wireless television … the list goes on. People rely on these things as they become increasingly mobile. But does a wireless world mean that we, as electrical contractors...
Power over Ethernet may finally be coming of age. This alternative way of delivering power using computer networking technology now accommodates 90 watts (W)/57 volts (V) to readily power lighting and lighting systems...
The internet of things (IoT) offers electrical contractors powerful revenue-generating service opportunities and new challenges, according to a 2019 report published by ELECTRI International. “Smart Buildings and Internet of...
Electrical contractors (ECs) know their clients have an increasing desire for buildings that are more energy efficient. For ECs looking to get into energy efficiency, there are several good places to begin. 1. Install copper...
The city known for its gambling, neon lights and shotgun weddings has embarked on a mission to gather something more than just dirty little secrets. With a new internet of things (IoT) project, Las Vegas will have a lot of...
Not long ago, smart lighting was outside the realm of typical commercial projects. Driven by energy-efficiency, integration and interoperability demands, smart lighting has moved past hype and become practical. Electrical...
“The internet of things (IoT) means different things to different people,” said Bernie Shaeffer, partner at Wm. A.J. Shaeffer’s Sons Inc., King of Prussia, Pa. “In the residential world, it is thermostats, appliances and...
While many cities talk about smart streetlights or engage in small pilot projects to attach one or two devices to several of their streetlights, San Diego, Calif., isn't waiting around. As a result, many are now calling it...
What goes on inside will greatly shape what happens on the outside. More specifically, the inside of electrical and mechanical equipment, components and other materials will continue to shape their outside performance, aided...
During 2018, electrical contractors saw various technologies start to have a larger role in the electrical construction industry. In 2019, they'll see many of these innovations have an even more prominent role and encounter...
The internet unlocked trillions of dollars in market value by connecting more than 10 billion computing devices for commerce, services and information. The internet of things (IoT) holds enormous promise to unlock new value...
Smart technology isn’t only about thermostats and meters. The ability of digital interfaces to increase energy efficiency in the most mundane ways has now reached the unlikely realm of public trash receptacles. In September...
In 2017, three employees were unloading and staging structural metal beams with a boom truck crane. The truck-mounted crane was moving the beams from an open-top container when the boom truck cable touched a high-power line...